Told you…. Australians aren’t ready for the no-frills experience of Jetstar. Sure, we’ll take their cheap prices, but it seems that the overall no-frills, bar-boned experience that Jetstar delivers will take a while to get used to.
Since the inaugural flight three weeks ago, Jetstar has been getting some negative press. I don't understand why though, it isn't doing anything other than delivering on its promise, which is to do not much more than fly you from A to B. To succeed Jetstar needs it’s planes chock full and in the air, not on the tarmac. So passengers were told to forget allocated seating or comfy seat, food beyond a coffee and biscuit, preferential baggage services or lenient check-in times. In fact, it’s more like catching a train than a plane. And there's the rub.... that's why it is cheap!
But for most Australians, air travel is a luxury, it is about the experience; whether we’ve paid $39 or $339 for our ticket. We want the discounted fares but expect the special experience when we fly. Jetstar only delivers one of these. It has only ever promised to deliver one of these. The special service happens over at Jetstars Big Brother; Qantas.
But try telling that to the six passengers left at Melbourne airport yesterday, or in Hobart last week, because of the hard and fast check-in rules. They were five minutes late and told; “sorry, we can’t get you on. No refunds. No rainchecks. If you want to get home buy another ticket.”
In one instance, a passenger was delayed because they went to the wrong Airport (dusty old Avalon instead of Melbourne's main airport Tullamarine)…. That’ll happen when you try to operate out of two airports in the one city.
But Jetstar aren’t being Draconian, they have been active in informing customers about the lack of flexibility in its service, and people were happy to gobble up the cheap seats. Unfortunately for them they mistook the offer as being for something more than it was.
There's a great irony in all of this though. On Monday about 100 passengere were angry because of a flight delay…they were there in time but their plane wasn't.
See, cheap isn't always cheerful!
I hope people don't see cheap flights in isolation from broader trends. The fact that there is competition in the airline industry, and hence a price war as well as a greater range of 'products' available is a very direct product of deregulation and the wonders of the free market. Could we really ever see this happening under a government-owned QANTAS??
Posted by: Ari | Thursday, June 10, 2004 at 01:57 AM
Yeah, I agree Ari....you put your finger on what I was alluding to, Jetstar offer a different "product" to other airlines, but it will take us some time to understand the differentiation.
Posted by: Shannon | Thursday, June 10, 2004 at 05:21 PM
Spot on - we still want a rolls royce at a holden price
Posted by: Trevor Cook | Friday, June 11, 2004 at 06:55 PM
This is a great post. As a Canadian living in london and now a founding member in the EasyJet (UK's LOwCost Airline) set - I love the fact that I can afford to travel. To be honest I don't want service on a 3 hour flight...I want the plane to leave on time (and if you are late - too bad) and I want it to be cheap (now if they could only do that to the British Railway service).
Perhaps if I had grown up with a national carrier like Qantas things would be different. We have (had) Air Canada which is notoriously poor in the service, dependability and luxury side of things. In my opinion the low cost's (RyanAir, EasyJet et al). Actually provide better, friendlier more dependable service for a price that has allowed us to vistit 9 different countries in 1 year. Rock on LowCost.
PS - if we are talking long haul my story changes abit but so does my price expectations.
Posted by: Nick | Friday, June 11, 2004 at 08:46 PM